Vehicle-top.



VEHICLE TOP.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1915.

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES ATTORNEY W. H. SCHL-OTT 6: A. G. HOEFLINGER.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION mu) SEPT. 9, 1915.

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY WILLIAM H. SCHLOTT AND ADOIzPH e. HOEFIJINGER', OF MISUHAWAKA; INDIANA.

VEHICLE-T01.

Speification of Letters Patent.

Pateihted July 1% 1917;

To ell iiihom it may conofot."

. Be it known that we, WViiiIA-ti FL SCHLUTT; eiitl Anonfih G. Hdiwnihcihh,- eiti- Zeiifs of the United SteteS, teemingat Misstewake, in the c'olihty of stddseph z'tiid Sttt-te of Ihaiene, ileve invehted ceftein new time useful l mproyements in it Veh'i'e1e 'l6t5,-bf which the fellbwifig is a specifi'atihii.

Oii i intentien e'onsists in the hov'el; ooh str'iietidh (if vehicle'tofis or hobds which ate more eg 'eciel-ly intended for eutdmobile', the mentioned top being li ht, compact, ea s- 11y nicive'bl, and whefi feted, e met-g e feletively to the ziuteniobile ted'y to be Completely ebncettled, pi'ete'c'ted ztnd inclosed. 7 H 1 V An dbj'eet pf the invehtibh it to fifeii'ide an impreved eblisipeibl e antdniebile' t'cip wherein the supporting bbws', runhers md VaLi-ieiis etherijztit'sf may be shifted emit- 1a ed in a; novel peciilhir' fii'zt'nhei and to o'cleh by' a; ihiniinuhr of spate; the" Viti-ibhs component parts, when time folded 6f 61- la se ieting" Cheap-en the thief iii widely spaced i'elatibn that the cenep 01' tdp pret'ef my be t6 atcer'ttih eit eht diteiided e' e l. t

A; fiitther object Of the ifiveneee is' to provide an erfangemelit wheifebj the existing symmetry of an automobile body will in 110- wziy be Medea of impaired by the tepefhdod'when eo'll'aps ed. I M e flit-their e'efitei'iiplate an impr'ev'ee pivotefd biacli'et suppeft fof the ant'ofiihbile 13013. The above and ztdditidniil objects 21ecomp'lished 'sueh ineens asi are iHiis ti-ated iii theii preferred einbbdimeiit in the following speeifi'eatibnand then nitire iefhath-1y pointed dutiIi he claim whieh is appended hei'eto gihd terms it p'eift of this a plication. In de'seiibing ur iiivehtion ih' detztil efei'enc'e' will be hadjto the eeeempefiyifig di' ztwiii'ge whefein like eh'ztrtc'tei s defibte like or cbfiesjponding ptrt thfdiighciiit'the SVItl views; and in which U Q 1 is 21 Side elevelt'ien of :tuteine the body equipped with-din" impio'ved 116661 01" to e V high is a blah View-"of the itiitemohi-le eddy, thedhoed, d1 tojla eerr'ied theteb'y heting been folded di 00' ithd ig 3 is a; view shni'iti" to Fig. 1, partly broken away, the mentioned heed er top being shown eoncealed 01- rethei' eollztpised".

Reiriin'g iio'iv to the die-wings hu math-e1 deigiiate' its an entii-ety an ehton'iebile bddy of eidihzi'i'y conetruetidh eXept that rem end theieof apocket is terme t6 rte and incl'ose the hood or tojj wheh eellztped; The mentioned p'e cket Q i 6f size to extend ffdih it point at 65611 side the cziT b'ddj I in liiie' with the reiti' en an? e retdem-s of said bet1y,,te a. l'jdint zit the i'ehi' (if the i'eiii'fsett thereit em EL C I b SS the end of the can bbcly Shbwn tbf edvetiiti ge in Fig"; 2.

Bi tttikets' 6, s'nijpbft in ratified. poeitibh the hood or top designated as an entirety by the numeral 8'. The shid top' 8 in its prefe 'fed embediment ma be shid to cbn'sist 0f 2t eanepy (ii -t bia propef 9", 2t main suppert bee 10; .i'tiziihany euppoi tin bows" 11 and 12 r'tihnei's 1 3 and 14 and a 'siippbrt nilin 1 5 hbniposed Of the wihd' shieldwith ftteneiis tit the-top dispbsed feiwztrdly ef the ci'r teay to engage with thefbi'ward end (if the 'ezind 'jjr 9. Themain Shppbititig bow 10' is piiibted as tit 16 to the opposed supfio'i'tin bretekets 6L Eats 17 and 1S cu-e t'QOi'in'e upon the s'ilppbi'tihg bow 10 that liriksIQ ztndQO may be pivoted re'speetively its" at '21 22 therebetwee'ni Lirik 19 is jjii dteti ages 23 th'th'e auxiliary suppel t'ing beat 11 endli'nk QOzt'e at Q tte'the auxiliary shpptii-ting bow 12,-the firmer; bow 11,- extending rea'srwardly angle to the how 10 hid the ltttter, bow 12; ext nding forweirdly amen swi -1e thereto; Each of the severel'bews" 10,-1-1' afid 12 su'p'pdr't (as i111"- plied) the canopy or top proper 9 in the manner desired. Any suitable detachable fastening means such as the removable pins 25 may be provided for the links 19 and 20 that the said links may be maintained, when the top is raised, in parallelism with the supporting bow 10." Arms 26 are fastened to the supporting bow 10, one at each side thereof, each arm acting as a support for the runners 13. The runners 13 in turn support the runners 14, the latter, runners 14, being foremost, engage with and support the forward end of the top proper 9. The runners'13 are pivoted as at 27 to the arms 26 and therunnersl l as at 28 to the runners 13, such connection permitting the hood or top to be folded or collapsed as hereinafter described.

Each of two fastening screws 5 carried by the supporting plates 4 is provided with a thumb nut 29. The fastening screw 5 at the rear end ofeachplate 4 is adapted for engagement with its associate supporting bracket 6 when the hood or top 9 is in a raised position and the fastening screw at the forward end of each plate 4: is adapted for en a ement with its associate su orting bracket 6 when the said hood is in a collapsed or folded position. The thumb nuts 29 act as a lock means whereby the supporting brackets'are held against movement subsequent to adjustment as stated.

Abutments designated respectively 30 and 31 are carried by the respective bows 10 and 12 that the mentioned'bows may be maintained in spaced relation when collapsed. The exact function of the abutments 30 and 31 will be pointed outmore specifically hereinafter. A ledge or support 32 is secured to the car body 1 at each side thereof and within the pocket 2 that the hood 9 may be supported in the desired manner when collapsed. i

j Movement of the various hood parts during a folding operation is substantially as follows: The connection betweenthe support 15 and the hood is removed,the pins 25 I withdrawn and the thumb nut 29 removed. Link 19, with its associate auxiliary supporting bow 11 is then swung about its pivot 21- to engage with cars 33 formed on the supporting bow 10 equidistant from the pivot point 21that it may be fastened in a manner similar to the fastening means designated 25. Bow 11, when the links 19 have been thus moved will extend substantially in parallelism with the supporting bow 10.

Links 20 are next swung forwardly that the auxiliary supporting bow 12 may be moved into proximity with the supporting how 10 and the runners l3 and 8 therewith. The runners 13 extend substantially in parallelism with the sides of the bow 12, while the runners 14 are heldjat an angle to the sides fit, when finally collapsed, the pocket 2 at the rear of the body 1. When collapsed, the supporting bracket 6 may be fastened in place. The bow 11, when completely collapsed, will contact with the ledge or support 32. The several bows and runners will bemaintained in spaced relation to preclude mashing of the material of which the top proper is composed, and the various links and abutments will so fold or move as to support the canopy in a folded position and in the manner desired.

If desired, a strip of material designated 34 may be fastened to the rear seat of the vehicle to act as a cover for the pocket 2 when the hood or top is distended and collapsed.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that the hood or top is protected, concealed and inclosed when collapsed; that the folding operation is of such a nature as to be subjected to onemanscontrol; and that the material of which the top proper is composed will be somewhat distended or spread, even when collapsed, to preclude mashing, crinkling, cracking and consequently rapid unfitness for use.

In reduction to practice, we have found that the form of our invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of our device will necessarily vary, we desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificingany of the advantages of our invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a vehicle having a pocket formed therein, of a collapsible top for said vehicle comprising supporting brackets mounted within said pockets upon horizontal pivots, means forming a support for said brackets extending horizontally upon opposite sides of. the pivot point of said brackets, said supporting means allowing said brackets to swing in the arc of a half circle, a main supporting bow pivoted to the respectivebrackets, links pivoted to said supporting bow, auxiliary supporting bows pivoted to said links, the mentioned auxillapsed being adapted for fitting engagement 10 iary bows extending at an angle to said Within the pocket aforesaid.

main supporting bow, means to releasably In testimony whereof we affix our signa= lock said links in a position in parallelism tures in presenoeoftwo witnesses.

5 with said main supporting bows, runners WILLIAM H. SCHLOTT.

pivoted to each other to extend forwardly ADOLPH G. HOEFLINGER; of said supporting bow, the respective run- Witnesses: ners and bows being adapted for folding HARRY G; GRAHAM, engagement, and the entire top when 001- JOSEPH E. WEBSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

ashinon, D. G. 

